This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if full advantage is taken of the learning opportunities that are provided.

This specification applies to delivery of the programme in the Academic Year indicated above. Prospective students reviewing this information for a later year of study should be aware that these details are subject to change as outlined in our Terms and Conditions of Study.

The duration of the programme is either six semesters or six semesters plus one academic year if candidates select one of the available part I streams. The third academic year (Part I) occurs between Part B and Part C. Permission to transfer to the eight semester programme will be at the discretion of the Programme Director (Economics). See Programme Structure for further details of eight semester streams.

3. Programme Learning Outcomes

3.1 Knowledge and Understanding

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

K1. A coherent core of economic principles. The understanding of these might be verbal, graphical or mathematical.

These principles cover the microeconomic issues of decision and choice, the production and exchange of goods, the interdependency of markets, and economic welfare. They also include macroeconomic issues, such as employment, national income, the balance of payments and the distribution of income, inflation, growth and business cycles, money and finance. The understanding should extend to economic policy at both microeconomic and macroeconomic levels. In all these, students should show understanding of analytical methods and model-based argument and appreciate the existence of different methodological approaches.

K2. Relevant quantitative methods and computing techniques. These cover mathematical and statistical methods, including econometrics. Students will have exposure to the use of such techniques on actual economic, financial or social data. A knowledge and appreciation of economic data, both quantitative and qualitative. Students should also have some knowledge of the appropriate methods that the economist might use to structure and analyse such data.

K3. The applications of economics. Students should have the ability to apply a core of economic principles and reasoning to a variety of applied topics. They should also be aware of the economic principles that can be used to design, guide and interpret commercial, economic and social policy. As part of this, they should have the ability to discuss and analyse government policy and to assess the performance of the UK and other economies.

Ability to relate differences in policy recommendations to differences in the theoretical and empirical features of economic analyses which underlie such recommendations.

Ability to discuss and analyse government policy and to assess the performance of the UK and other economies.

Understanding of verbal, graphical, mathematical and econometric representation of economic ideas and analysis, including the relationship between them.

Understanding of relevant mathematical and statistical techniques.

Understanding of analytical methods, both theory- and model-based.

Appreciation of the history and development of economic ideas and the differing methods of analysis that have been and are used by economists.

Understanding of the appropriate techniques to enable manipulation, treatment and interpretation of the relevant statistical data.

3.2 Skills and other attributes

a. Subject-specific cognitive skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

C1. Abstraction. From the study of economic principles and models, students see how one can abstract the essential features of complex systems and provide a useable framework for evaluation and assessment of the effects of policy or other exogenous events. Through this, the typical student will acquire proficiency in how to simplify while still retaining relevance. This is an approach that they can then apply in other contexts, thereby becoming more effective problem-solvers and decision-makers.

C2. Analysis, deduction and induction. Economic reasoning is highly deductive, and logical analysis is applied to assumption-based models. However, inductive reasoning is also important. The typical student will have been exposed to some or all of these and be able to use some of them. Such skills also enhance their problem-solving and decision-making ability.

C3. Quantification and design. Data, and their effective organization, presentation and analysis, are important in economics. The typical student will have some familiarity with the principal sources of economic information and data relevant to industry, commerce and government, and have had practice in organising it and presenting it informatively. This skill is important at all stages in the decision-making process.

C4. Framing. Through the study of economics, a student should learn how to decide what should be taken as given or fixed for the purposes of setting up and solving a problem, i.e. what the important 'parameters' are in constraining the solution to the problem. Learning to think about how and why these parameters might change encourages a student to place the economic problem in its broader social and political context. This `framing' skill is important in determining the decision-maker's ability to implement the solutions to problems.

b. Subject-specific practical skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

P3. Apply and use specialised software including spreadsheets for the analysis of economic models.

c. Key transferable skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to demonstrate the key skills of:

T1. Analysis and decision making.

T2. Communication.

T3. Numeracy and computation.

T4. IT, information handling and retrieval, including library skills.

T5. Independent study and group work.

T6. Time management.

T7. Problem solving.

4. Programme structure

Students must have a total modular weighting of 120 credits per year. This must include the compulsory modules. The remaining optional modules may be chosen to give a 60:60 split over the two semesters, or alternatively, 50:70 or 70:50.

The prefixes on module codes represent the credit levels as follows:

A level 4; B level 5; C level 6.

Candidates following the Placement Stream are required to spend the third academic year undertaking professional training leading to the Diploma in Professional Studies, in accordance with Senate Regulation XI.

Candidates following the Study Abroad Stream are required to spend the third academic year studying at an approved academic institution leading to the Diploma in International Studies (DIntS) in accordance with Senate Regulation XI.

Candidates following the Split Stream are required to spend six months of the third academic year undertaking professional training, and the other half of the third academic year studying at an approved academic institution. This leads to the Diploma in International Studies (DIntS) in accordance with Senate Regulation XI.

4.1 Part A - Introductory Modules

MODULE TITLE

Modular Weight

SEMESTER 1 and 2 COMPULSORY MODULES

ECA001 Principles of Macroeconomics

20

ECA002 Principles of Microeconomics

20

ECA003 Data Analysis I (Semester 1)

10

ECA004 Quantitative Economics

20

ECA005 Data Analysis II (Semester 2)

10

BSA008 Skills for Study and Employment (Semester 2)

10

SEMESTER 1 OPTIONAL MODULES

BSA505 Organisational Behaviour

10

BSA525 Introduction to Accounting

10

EUA607 Introduction to Democratic Government

10

GYA002 Geographies of Global Economic Change

20

SSA001 Introduction to Sociology A

10

SSA201 Introduction to Criminology and Social Policy A

10

University Wide Languages Programme (see additional form)

10

SEMESTER 2 OPTIONAL MODULES

BSA026 Principles of Law

10

BSA506 Management of Human Resources

10

EUA614 Political Ideologies

10

GYA104 Geographies of Identity

10

SSA002 Introduction to Sociology B

10

SSA202 Introduction to Criminology and Social Policy B

10

University Wide Languages Programme (see additional form)

10

Compulsory and optional modules must be taken such that the total modular weight for the year is 120 credits divided equally over each Semester, or split 70:50 or 50:70 over the two Semesters.

The duration of the programme is either six semesters or six semesters plus one academic year if candidates select one of the following three streams:

Candidates following the Placement Stream are required to spend the third academic year undertaking professional training leading to the Diploma in Professional Studies, in accordance with Senate Regulation XI.

Candidates following the Study Abroad Stream are required to spend the third academic year studying at an approved academic institution leading to the Diploma in International Studies (DIntS) in accordance with Senate Regulation XI.

Candidates following the Split Stream are required to spend six months of the third academic year undertaking professional training, and the other half of the third academic year studying at an approved academic institution. This leads to the Diploma in International Studies (DIntS) in accordance with Senate Regulation XI.

The third academic year (Part I) occurs between Part B and Part C. Permission to transfer to the eight semester programme will be at the discretion of the Associate Dean (Teaching) for the School.

4.4 Part C - Degree Modules

MODULE TITLE

Modular Weight

SEMESTER 2 COMPULSORY MODULES

ECC142 Research and Communication Skills for Economists

20

SEMESTER 1 COMPULSORY MODULES

ECC003 International Money and Finance

20

ECC031 International Trade

20

SEMESTER 1 and 2 OPTIONAL MODULES

ECC038 Applied Econometrics

20

SEMESTER 1 OPTIONAL MODULES

ECC001 Developments in Microeconomics

20

ECC004 Financial Economics and Asset Pricing

20

ECC101 Developments in Macroeconomics

20

SEMESTER 2 OPTIONAL MODULES

ECC005 Industrial Economics

20

ECC035 Central Banking and Economic Crises

20

ECC119 Development Economics (Semester 2)

20

ECC139 Environmental Economics

20

ECC141 Corporate Finance and Derivatives

20

Compulsory and optional modules must be taken such that the total modular weight for the year is 120 credits divided equally over each Semester.

5. Criteria for Progression and Degree Award

In order to progress from Part A to Part B and from Part B to C and to be eligible for the award of an Honours degree, candidates must satisfy the minimum credit requirements set out in Regulation XX.

A Diploma in Professional Studies will be awarded to students who have satisfactorily completed the programme of study required for Part I.

5.2 Reassessment

Candidates must accumulate at least 60 credits in a Part of a Programme in order to be eligible for reassessment in the relevant Part during the University’s Special Assessment Period.

If a student registers to resit a module, they will be required to resit all failed components of that module (ie if their coursework mark was less than 40% they must resit the coursework and if their exam mark was less than 40% they must resit the exam). If a student resits the coursework element of a module and there was more than 1 coursework assignment for that module, then the student would be required to resit all coursework assignments in which they achieved a mark below 40%. Marks for elements of a module not being re-sat will be carried forward.

6. Relative Weighting of Parts of the Programme for the Purposes of Final Degree Classification

Candidates' final degree classification will be determined on the basis of performance in degree level Module Assessments in Parts B and C in accordance with the scheme set out in Regulation XX of the University Regulations. The average percentage marks for each Part will be combined in the ratio Part B 30% : Part C 70% to determine the final Programme Mark.